About Language Services
What Are Language Assistance Services?
Language assistance services are services available from your HMO if you or a family member use American Sign Language (ASL) or do not speak or understand English as well as another language. These services, such as an interpreter to help you talk with your doctors or materials that are written in your preferred language, may assist you with obtaining and making the most of the medical care and treatment you receive.
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What Services Do HMOs Offer in My Language?
To find out what services HMOs offer in your language, first select a type of insurance coverage and then click on your preferred language. The first two charts show the language assistance services offered in your preferred language by the HMOs in your area. A check in a box means that the HMO offers the service. If you do not see a check, you may still ask your HMO if they can make the service available to you in your preferred language.
There are other charts that provide information about language services including, language services complaints, Plan staff and provider training, and Plan operations and policies related to language assistance.
The language services an HMO offers routinely may be different depending on your insurance coverage. For example, an HMO may offer different language services to members who have health insurance through their employer than it offers to members who have Medi-Cal.
In California there are new language assistance regulations to create more standardization across types of insurance coverage; these regulations require HMOs to have implemented a language assistance program for Group or Individual Plan members by January 2009.
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Language Services Rating
The ratings section show how the language services offered by HMOs compare to each other. The data reported is from an OPA Survey conducted in 2006. A rating of More means that the HMO says it offers more language services than other HMOs. A rating of Less means that the HMO says it offers fewer language services than other HMOs.
The chart rates the amount or number of services an HMO offers. It does not rate the quality of the services.
Rating Methods
The ratings methodology scores Plans based on the “amount of effort” they put forth in providing services and materials in non-English “threshold” languages. There is a set of three “core” threshold languages (Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese). Provision of services in the core languages is used to calculate a base score.
Because Plans have different threshold language requirements, the methodology allows Plans to earn extra credit points for work they do over and above the three core threshold languages. Extra credit points are then added to the base score to come up with a total score (expressed as a percent).
Plans have the opportunity to earn extra credit points in two ways:
- Type 1: Providing services/materials in threshold languages beyond the “core” languages.
- Type 2: Providing services/materials in non-threshold languages.
How Reliable are the Scores?
The methodology may favor Plans that operate in linguistically diverse locations and, thus, have numerous threshold language requirements. In areas where members speak fewer non-English languages, Plans have less opportunity to gain extra credit points. For example, all Plans can earn Type 2 extra credit, but only Plans with threshold language requirements other than the three core languages can earn Type 1 extra credit.
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How Did OPA Obtain This Information?
OPA sent a survey in 2006 to most of California’s largest HMOs asking them about their language services. The language assistance services charts and rating are based on the HMOs’ answers to questions about:
- How members communicate with their HMO and their doctors.
- How members get information in non-English languages.
- How members get information on services and costs.
- Does the HMO think language services are important.
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How Can I Get More Information?
To find out more about language services, call your HMO. You can find the phone number and web site for each HMO on the HMO and Medical Group Directory page. You can also click on an HMO’s name wherever you see it on this web site.
If you have a problem getting language assistance services, call the Office of the Patient Advocate at 1-866-466-8900. There is no charge for this call.